Give Me Hope
by Woffreen
Summary: That night… He still remembered it so clearly. He should have seen it all coming. He knew he was a danger, too much so to be able to take care of. / Jak and Daxter one-shot, slight songfic. Post Jak II, during-to-post Jak 3. Jak x Keira. / Rated T for violence and language.


_**A.N.::** Hey, guys. Woff here. Wow, it's been a little while, huh? Last thing I really post here was... That Dragon Age story, I think.  
_

_I know a lot of you - or the few people who reviewed - are anticipating the continuation of my "It's Been Quite A Ride" fic. Well, sadly, I'm officially discontinuing it until further notice. I know, I know, only two chapters. I'm sorry, but my muse for it died so long ago. I'm not done with Gorillaz, don't worry. I never will be. Please understand that I just can't add more right now. If I ever will, though, you guys will see it!  
_

_Anyway...  
_

_So I recently got the Jak and Daxter collection on the PS3. You have no idea how much I adoredthose games all those years ago. And having them back? Happiness! So, due to oodles of inspiration, here's my first (completed) fan fic to contribute to this fandom.  
_

_I came up with this while listening to a song. You see, whenever I dive into a fandom head-on, a lot of times I'm really into a new song at the same time. So my mind sort of figures out a way to connect the two; one way or another, I make it fit.  
_

_The song is "Ghosts That We Knew" by Mumford and Sons. Really, really good song. Go check it out.  
_

_About this fic...  
_

_This takes place mainly after Jak II and during Jak 3 - post Jak 3. Anyone would be able to notice how Jak and Keira hardly spoke in the third game. This is kind of my take on that. Well, one of them. This is sort of angsty, but has a happy ending. You'll see.  
_

_Okay, so I know they aren't REALLY uncomfortable around eachother in the third game, but I guess just... play along? I've never written a fic that bends with canon that much, so...  
_

_Also, you know that kiss between Ashelin and Jak? MAJORLY downplayed in this. Like, ignored completely. Not mentioned. I just didn't wanna deal with all that stupid conflict.  
_

_Anyway, enough of my talking. Read on, and I hope you enjoy the story.  
_

___**Disclaimer: Jak and Daxter, Jak II, and Jak 3, and all characters associated belong solely to NaughtyDog and it's creators.**_  


* * *

**Give Me Hope**___**  
**_

* * *

_The people are blaming you, Jak!_

_This Dark Eco freak is dangerous!_

_You look… Different._

_Monster, monster, monster…_

So many ramblings. So many insults, so many frightened exclamations, angry spats.

So many warnings.

Mar, that night… He still remembered it so damn clearly. He should have seen it all coming. He knew he was a danger, too much so to be able to take care of.

It had been a few months since the downfall of Baron Praxis and the triumphant defeat of the Metalhead leader, formerly known as Kor, the wise elder who seemed to do whatever he could to assist the Underground and protect the young heir during the war. Jak and his companions almost died that day, all to save the city of Haven and promise a lighter future for all of its inhabitants. But all that seemed to have been thrown away with his banishment.

_We saved those lowlifes!_

No one really knew, though. Not the real reason. It was all confusion. The clearest explanation for his banishment was simply, "He is a danger to Haven!"

What happened was probably too dark to even release to the public. What happened that night…

It was a nightmare, really.

The rain emit small pitter-patters as it bounced off of the thick-packed sandy ground of the Wasteland shore. The storm raging outside of this cavern was just like that of the one that cursed the skies that night. Through the dense gathering of rain droplets, accompanied by the darkened new moon sky, only two specks of cerulean blue were visible – barely, as so – through the midnight black air. Within the cavern, he watched. Hours prior, the man had experienced minor vehicle difficulties – nothing too complicated to fix on his own, of course, but enough to bring a stop to his journey for the moment. And just as he had pulled to a halt inside this cavern near the sea's shore to make his repairs, the first drops of rain had begun to fall. The dark warrior had been sitting there since, watching the storm outside, alongside his snoring companion, who was curled up on the ground right next to him.

Not that he couldn't make it back to the city of Spargus, of course. He shouldn't, for one thing, as a Wasteland storm is considerably more dangerous than one he would experience in the city. But Jak found himself too distracted to even think about navigating toward his current home. He found himself… deep in thought. In dark memory.

As if he could forget, really. It's what damned him here in the first place.

Running the scene through his head a thousand times, and he still flinched, his face wrinkled in a wince, eyes slam shut, at that voice. That horror-filled voice, screaming at him for what he had done. The scariest, most deafening part of this nightmare of a memory.

It all came rushing back at the remembrance of that scream…

**"_Jak!_"**

* * *

"But Jak, it's raining pretty hard out there," the young mechanist complained as she glanced to her left, the ajar garage doors granting a clear view of the storm beyond. "Besides, it's not that important…"

"Not important!" The aforementioned man exclaimed, crossing his arms in a disbelieving gesture as his head gave a shake. "Keira, it's your birthday. That's pretty important."

The woman of the name Keira kept her modest sage-green gaze locked to the outside, dipped her head a bit, and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her long ears. "I dunno," she persisted shyly.

Jak sighed. He knew that her once eager, outgoing attitude had died down significantly since she had to spend the past couple of years fending for herself. He hoped some of her confidence would return since the danger was gone now – well, not entirely, considering the recent Metalhead attacks and reports of surviving KG forces. But for the most part, things were going all right. It was a week or so after the attack on the palace, and despite a recent hit on the KG in the Industrial Sector of Haven, no real big battles were interfering with Jak's life at the moment. Sure, the council was blaming him as a reason for the Metalheads having access into Haven, but that was easily overruled by the Governess and his close friend, Ashelin. Their other point – the one regarding his dangerous state as a channeler of Dark Eco – was quickly shoved aside as well. The evidence was clear; Jak could handle his 'other side' for the most part, and there was no need for worry in that area.

In any case, Jak just wished for Keira to live a little, like how she was back in Sandover. He figured the lack of danger would bring back some of her fire. That, and the fact that they all were reunited. Jak, Daxter, Keira, Samos… They were all together again. That has to count for something, right? Besides, he and their other friends, old and new, had planned this party for about a week now. At the moment, every one of them was at the Naughty Ottsel, no doubt wondering where on earth the birthday girl and her best friend were.

"Come on," he insisted. "Relax a little. I've missed two of your birthdays. You think I'm gonna let you pass this one up so easily?"

"Jak," she whined, looking back to him. But as she met the determination glowing in his ocean eyes, she knew he'd get her to the party, whether with or without her consent. She sighed in defeat, although allowed a smile to pull at her lips. "All right. Fine. But I better hear some loud singing on your part."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled, grinning in triumph. Just then, however, a crash of thunder boomed, sending a noticeable tremor through the garage. Keira flinched. "What about the rain?" She asked, half worried, half annoyed at the chance of her getting soaked. "My zoomer doesn't have a hood."

Jak stared at the rain outside, pondering what they could do. He walked there when he arrived, the rain being a mere sprinkle at the time.

But even though it was heavy right now, Jak could detect a lighten up in the rain, and he hypothesized that it was going to ease, just long enough for them to be able to make it to the 'Ottsel with minimum soakage.

Just as he thought, the sound of rain battering the outside world began to mute. "Listen," he instructed, gesturing with his head to the outside.

"I guess if we hurry, we won't get that wet," Keira concluded, confirming that she was thinking the exact same as him. She turned to where her zoomer was parked – conveniently right there in the garage with them. "I'm driving," she said as she climbed in, unknowingly cutting Jak off, as his mouth was open to suggest that he take the wheel. He ended up shaking his head and walked around to the passenger side, taking a seat.

A turn of keys, an engine rumble, and then… nothing.

Keira tilted her head in confusion, then tried again. Nothing.

"Damn it," she cursed, trying a third, and fourth time. She then proceeded to mumble about many possible factors that were preventing her zoomer from starting. Jak buried his face in his palm in annoyance to all of the obstacles obstructing him and Keira from making it to the party, but he snapped back to attention as the woman slid out of her seat and headed for her toolbox.

"Woah, you aren't gonna try and fix this right now, are you?"

"Got any other plans, Jak?" she retorted with the same amount of annoyance that he had, though hers was aimed mainly at the vehicle.

"Yeah." He got up and headed for the garage door, grabbing hold of Keira's wrist as he circled around the zoomer. "We're walking."

"What!" Keira tried to pull away frantically as he pulled her out into the open, though calmed slightly when she realized the rain stopped completely for the moment. That didn't stop her protest, though. "The bar is on the other side of Haven. What if it starts raining again?"

"If we hurry, we'll be fine," he insisted, releasing her and quickening his pace. "Besides, I could always –"

"No stealing zoomers," Keira lectured, knowing full well the nature of her friend's 'borrowing' habits.

Jak scoffed but said nothing more.

The two remained silent for a little. The streets were calm, mostly empty due to the raging storm just moments before. Hardly even a vehicle was in sight. While the storm had ceased for now, Jak knew it was only a matter of time before it would return. '_Might as well enjoy this walk while I can,_' he thought, not wanting to get wet any more than Keira did.

He glanced over to the aforementioned woman; her hands were behind her back, her green gaze thoughtful as she stared at the sky while she walked. Her eyes seemed to glow even in the darkness of the new moon sky, her thin lips curled in the slightest of smiles, one only he or her close friends would be able to pinpoint. Jak realized she must be admiring the post-rain calm of the atmosphere, and her simple expression made him smile a bit. The dim, cloudy, night lighting was dark on her features, but ever complimenting. Hell, to Jak, the teal-haired woman was beautiful in any light.

He was pulled from his silent admiration at the sudden feel of cold wetness bouncing off of his nose. He jerked his head up to the sky, lifting his brows as he realized the rain was returning, slowly but surely. He hadn't even realized how long they had been walking, but it must have been a significant while, seeing as though they were already past the Slums and now entering the Industrial Sector of Haven.

"Damn," Keira complained as she, too, felt a raindrop.

"At least we're almost there," Jak said with an optimistic tone to keep her in a good mood. "Let's just hurry up."

He quickened his pace, Keira following close behind, as they went deeper into the silent, red-lit part of the city.

"Wait, Jak," Keira gasped suddenly. "Isn't this place dangerous? What about the Krimson Guard?"

"Don't worry," Jak assured with a glance over his shoulder. "We hit 'em pretty hard the other day. They won't be crawling out any time soon."

She met his eyes and hesitantly nodded. "Okay," she acknowledged, though it sounded more of a reassurance to herself.

Jak knew they really didn't have anything to worry about; the KG are weak right now, so if they ran into trouble, he'd be able to successfully protect Keira and himself, even if he didn't currently have his morph gun.

Yet…

This strong feeling of dark foreboding would not leave him. His sixth sense had been warning him for the past hour that something was going to go wrong, but he ignored it up until now. Now, these anxious pangs were zapping up his spine, and the further they walked, the more intense it got.

"Jak?" Keira spoke, making him draw his attention away from his worry for a moment.

"Yeah?" He didn't even bother to look at her, as he was so distracted.

Her reply was hesitated, and Jak could feel her gaze burning into the back of his head. He knew she could see how he was on edge, and he made himself glance at her swiftly, trying his best to make himself look as calm as ever. Whether or not it worked, however, was another question, but shoved aside as she went on, as if to change the subject. "So, what are they planning for me? I expect _lots_ of cake for all of this walking!"

Her tone was playful, teasing, as she tried to lift the sudden nervous mood. Jak mentally acknowledged this effort, as vain as it was. That was made obvious, as he kept silent. Seeing his lack of reply, Keira furrowed her brow, deciding to remain quiet, as well. They headed further along in silence, the only sound being that of the slowly quickening storm. It wasn't that bad at first; just enough to get them a little wet, but not soaking yet. Jak knew that they were near the South area of the city and would be there in no time. He hoped, at least.

But as they walked past a dark alleyway, Jak felt the anxiety from before return with a fiery vengeance, and he glanced – no, glared – through the side of his eye, studying it, searching for any movement.

"What's wrong?" Keira's soft question had brought Jak to the realization that he stopped dead in his tracks. He broke his death-lock with the dark alley and looked to her. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but all of his instincts seemed to say 'get her out of here.'

"Nothing," he said hastily. "Hey, I, uh, think I dropped something. You go ahead to the 'Ottsel. It's just a few blocks ahead. I'll meet you there, okay?" The warrior gave a rather convincing smile.

Keira nodded, though the hesitation was clear in her eyes. "All right. Hurry up, though." And with that she headed off, quickening her pace at the sound of a distant crash of thunder.

Jak waited until she was out of view before turning to the alley. He stalked toward it, keen ears twitching at the slightest of sounds, cerulean eyes glancing back and forth at each and every corner they saw. It was a shallow alley as a dead end was met after no time at all, but it was dark; hardly any lighting around save for what was emitting from the road behind him.

Despite all of the warning feelings he got, he almost gave up on searching for the cause of them, as nothing seemed to meet his attention immediately, and the increasing rain managed to soak his clothes to the point of annoyance. But when he turned around, he tensed, narrowing his eyes, at the sight of a figure just ahead.

It was human, standing in the middle of his path. Due to the dark lighting, only the silhouette of this person was visible, lined in the reddish lighting of the road behind them. Their eyes glinted in the dark, and Jak did not hesitate to meet the gaze with determination.

"Look what the muse dragged in," the figure snarled, its voice raspy and deep, laced with hostility.

"Who are you?" Jak demanded darkly, taking a step forward.

"I wouldn't move anymore if I were you," he said, and at the rise and aim of a laser at his chest, Jak knew this figure had a gun of some sort, and was not afraid to use it.

He snarled, taking another step, but froze in his tracks as more figures began to appear. From the sight of it, none of them seemed to be wearing armor, so his first thought of the Krimson Guard was out ruled immediately. But what did that make these guys? Civilians?

"What do you want?" he persisted, his tone growing ever harsher.

"We just wanna give you a bit of… enlightenment," the first figure said simply with his gun kept aimed at the dark warrior. "We know about you, _Dark Eco freak_." The words were spat, but did not make Jak flinch, as he had heard it so many times already. "We all knew that you being here wasn't going to promise a safe life for long…"

"Of course not," Jak retorted sarcastically. "It's not like I saved your sorry asses from being wiped out by Metalheads or anything."

The man laughed. "And now look where we are! The Metalheads somehow survive? The Krimson Guard is beginning to regroup and become stronger than ever? Who do you think we have to blame for that?"

More lasers had pointed themselves at Jak at this time, and he felt himself growing a bit unsure. He didn't show it though. He guessed that these were, indeed, civilians, no doubt trying to take the fate of their city in their own hands. '_They are in way over their heads,_' he thought with annoyance.

"I'm not your enemy," he prompted, trying to lessen the hostility in his tone. "If you really want to help your city so much, join the fight to take it back, don't turn on me."

"You don't get it, do you?" the leader of this rogue civilian group spat, taking a step forward. What little Jak could see of his eyes were glowing with anger. "I believe in wiping things out from the source. And that starts with you." He held his gun up, as if to take aim.

Jak took a step back. "You don't want to do this," he warned darkly.

But the figures pursued slowly, the rest of the group around their leader following close behind, more of them drawing weapons. "Beg for your life, freak," the leader said. The group behind him started to yell out insults, laughing as they cornered the hero of Haven.

The gun shot echoed through the hollow alley just as another crash of thunder rumbled overhead, the rain picking up its assault on the ground below. Jak, already being on edge, was caught surprise by this loud booming, and even though the shot missed him, it was enough to push him over the edge.

Instinct took over as his mind registered the fact that he lacked a proper weapon and the only option now would be to give into his other side or risk death. Pain shot through him as the fire known as Dark Eco surged through his veins, reaching every corner of his form as he felt himself morphing, changing. Even if he had done this ten times or a thousand times, it would never stop feeling so evil. His skin paled to the lightest of grays, his hair bleaching white, accompanied by ebony black horns poking through the snowy mane. His finger nails lengthened to the longest of talons, his teeth pointing to fangs. The warrior lost himself entirely as his pupils overtook the one beautiful blue color of his eyes, until the orbs were the blackest of black. Everything he saw was laced with red as his demeanor changed significantly. Though he was not entirely himself at this moment, Jak had learned to control his dark form to a certain point. "_Back off!_" he snarled, his inhuman voice scaring even himself.

The figures began to yell in fear, some of them running off and abandoning their weapons behind them. But the leader still stood strong, shouting at Dark Jak. "See? A danger! Someone has to take you out for good!" It was obvious he wasn't scared in the least.

Dark Jak would fix that soon enough.

The Eco infused man stalked ever closer, lips pulled back in a horrifying scowl. His hands clenched, the black talons clinking together as they touched, the bloodlust in his form begging to rip them through the flesh of this opposing man. But he managed to conceal his animalistic urges for the moment, silently praying that this idiot would give up and turn tail like most of his companions.

"What's it gonna take?" the man persisted, lowering his weapon, now seemingly intent to taunt Jak rather than attack him. "Show us what you can do, monster! Something holding you back?" A sickening smirk hit his features. "Maybe we could use that little girlfriend of yours as leverage! Maybe if we throw her to the hands of the Metalheads, you'll call them off and –"

He didn't get the chance to finish what he was saying.

Dark Jak tackled the man to the wet ground, the weapon that was held now flying across the clearing. The warrior had him pinned down, one hand raised with claws glinting in the dim light. That brought some fear to this man at last; his eyes were as wide as moons, pupils contracted in sudden horror for his life.

But just as he had this man down, he felt blunt pain as he realized the remaining members of this little posse had surrounded him and were now hitting his back with the butts of their guns. He let out a blood curdling roar, rearing back as Dark Eco energy flashed off of him in a form similar to lightning, sending them flying back.

And he then returned his attention to the leader of this civilian group, intent clear, but not his own. He had lost himself to his Dark side, and he knew it; his vision began to cloud completely to a red haze, and he felt his muscles tense in a strength that was not his own.

Just as he felt his talons sink into the throat of his victim, he heard one shriek from the entrance of the alley, one that hit him harder than any blow he had taken from any enemy. One that he would not be able to forget for the rest of his days.

**"_Jak!_" **Keira screamed.

_**~ You saw my pain, washed out in the rain ~ Broken glass, saw the blood run from my veins ~**_

* * *

"Hey!" Jak was snapped out of his terrible reverie at the sound of that familiar annoying voice trying to get his attention. He looked to his side; Daxter was to his feet now, arms crossed, one paw tapping the ground in clear impatience.

"Finally you're back to the land of the living, buddy!" The ottsel ranted, throwing his arms up in an exaggerated gesture of relief. "C'mon! You had yer beauty sleep. Now we gotta fix this piece o' crap so we can get back to Spargus. I'm starvin'!"

Jak didn't say anything, just shook his head to clear the rest of the memory from his mind for now. He wasn't sure how long Daxter had been trying to get his attention, or if his furry friend even noticed that he was deep in thought, not asleep. He looked outside of the cave as he stood; the rain was calming down a bit to the point of a simple downpour rather than a thundering storm. It was brighter as well, so he assumed the sun had dawned upon the Wasteland.

He rounded around the car and opened the hood, taking a look at the engine. He wasn't an expert with mechanics, but he knew a thing or two, just enough to get them out and back to the city.

By the time he was finished with his repairs, the rain had settled to a sprinkle, and they made it back to Spargus safely. Because Daxter had been complaining about food, he ran off to the market area. Jak went with him, but strayed away from the ottsel, stepping to the rocky cliff at the edge of the city that overlooked the ocean beyond.

Ever since that day, Jak had tried to remember what happened after he heard Keira's scream, as the rest was a complete blackout. He felt like he already knew, though. No doubt she saw him rip apart everyone in sight in an endless slaughter.

The council saw it as murder, rather than self defense. After all, it turned out that the civilians had unloaded weapons, their only intention to scare him into submission. They "posed no threat", and he was deemed guilty. The danger claimed at first, the one saying he could not control the Dark Eco inside of him, was resurfaced, and this time even Ashelin's protest was overruled.

Though, not everyone knew of the slaughter. Only the council's witnesses. Even Ashelin was clueless to the real reason, for she thought it mainly surrounded around their claim of his threat to the city.

But Jak knew. And so did Keira.

Mar, she must hate him… Despite being in the middle of a war, the woman had managed to keep away from the most violent aspects of battles. A dead body was not foreign to her, of course, but to see what he did?... She has to be traumatized. And Jak hated himself for being the cause of that.

Ever since he lost himself to the dark side that day, he had not spoken to Keira. During his recent return to Haven, he had seen her, but refused to make eye contact, turning his head away whenever he felt her gaze on him, not replying whenever she mentioned him or may have spoken to him whenever the situation demanded. He could sense the awkward tone in her voice. But he couldn't bring himself to look at her, see the horror in her eyes as they locked with his.

He only wished… There was some way to gain her trust. But he was too frightened to even consider speaking to her.

Maybe it was best if he left it alone.

* * *

Weeks passed, and the young hero found himself in a foreign place, with a single intent on his mind as he stared at the half-human, half-machine dead ahead:

_Stop Errol, for good, and save the world from this damned ship._

Errol, the apparently revived former KG commander with a major sore-loser attitude, turned at the sound of Jak's arrival. He had been the cause – or at the very least, a strong connection – of the imminent attack on earth by the Dark Makers. Because the warrior had such a huge grudge with the racer already, he did not hesitate to lunge into a full sprint at Errol, intending to tackle him off of the ledge just behind him.

That didn't go entirely as planned.

Acting fast, Errol leapt right out of the way before Jak could get him, and in an instant, the hero himself had vanished from the platform, out of sight.

All that could be heard now were the shrill calls from Daxter, still on the platform, as he yelled his friends name over and over again in vain.

It all happened so fast, his freefall. Yet to Jak, everything felt so slow. His mind was in a panic, not really sure what he could do to prevent his imminent death. His thoughts were racing through his head, memories, warnings. His cerulean eyes clenched shut.

This is it.

He failed.

_It's not over yet_, a voice seemed to awaken him from his sorrowful self-condemnation. _You have the strength, _it went on_, you just have to accept it. Accept yourself._

_Remember who you are, Jak Mar._

A soothing, silky current flowed through his veins, and the blessed Light Eco proceeded to calm him ever slightly as it overtook him. Time seemed to freeze all together as he found himself in an internal conflict, part of him telling himself to let it all go, the other part convincing him to push even more and never give up.

_You must clear your conscience._

What did that mean? Did he have to atone for all of the wrongs he made in the past three or four years? Not a very good plan, creepy-voice-from-no-where, cuz then we'd be here for a pretty long time.

_What is holding you back the most?..._

**"_Jak!__"_**

No…

It came rushing back once more. That night.

But this time it was… Different.

He found himself in that memory, at the point of Keira's scream. But he did not fade out into his animalistic rage; rather, the memory continued, and try as he did to snap out of it, he was forced to watch as he tore each citizen apart, feeling the warm contact of sticky, scarlet blood splash against his cold skin as if he were living inside of the nightmare on that stormy night.

When the massacre ended with the last gasp of breath from the final victim, Dark Jak stepped back, surveying the now bloody alley with sick triumph as the rain collected the red liquid in puddles. It wasn't necessarily a satisfaction, this feeling. More of a relief that the danger was gone.

But it wasn't until the sound of a faint, gasping breathing when Dark Jak remembered he was not alone.

The teal-haired woman was at the entrance of the alley, her petite form a silhouette against the dim lighting beyond. Normally, Dark Jak would have taken this as a threat, especially this deep into his form.

But something stopped him.

Stopped his muscles from tensing, his snarl from wrinkling his appearance, his eyes from holding their characteristic fury.

Instead, pain and sorrow appeared through his features as, even as monstrous as it sounded, he rasped out the word, "_Keira…_"

"Jak, please…" she whimpered.

Dark Jak reached to her in longing, but halted as his clawed hand came into his own view. The crimson liquid covered as much as he could see, falling off in heavy droplets. He stared at his hand, and forced himself to back away, further into the shadows behind.

_Monster_, his mind said. _Monster, monster, monster…_

He backed away until his back hit the cold, wet, metal wall, signaling he had reached the end of the hollow alley. Without hesitation he crouched down, one shoulder against the wall, as he tried in vain to hide from her view. The warrior appeared no longer as a force of terror, but rather a frightened crocadog caught out in the cold.

_Monster, monster…._

"Jak." He flinched at his name like he had been struck, as the voice was closer than before. He snapped his head up; Keira towered over him, her arms wrapped around her shivering form, the fear clear in her eyes. He shook his head, trying to form words to tell her to get back, but it was all to no avail.

He expected her to scream at him, call him a murderer, hit him.

She didn't.

She knelt down…

And hugged him.

Her touch made him tense, as it caught him by complete surprise. But the feel of her soft arms wrapped around his neck, her nose brushing against his cheek, her touch warm against his cold skin, he felt himself instinctively relax, his eyes closing.

"Jak," she whispered shakily. "It's okay. It's all okay…"

_**~ But you saw no fault, no cracks in my heart ~ And you knelt beside my hope torn apart ~ **_

He felt the ice gradually begin to fade from his veins. Ivory skin faded slowly to its familiar sun-kissed tan, his hair gained its forest-and-gold hue. Within moments, Dark Jak was no more.

But he was weary, as if he had just fought a thousand battles twice.

Noting the sudden change in the temperature of the man she held in her arms, Keira backed slightly, eyeing him sympathetically. Jak turned his head, his eyes open now, the deep blue orbs gracing the woman with a look of longing, almost as if they verbally begged _'help'_.

_**~ So lead me back, turn South from that place ~ And close my eyes to my recent disgrace ~**_

"We have to get out of here," Keira agreed evenly, able to understand what he was saying clearly with experience, considering he had been mute for longer than he had been able to talk.

But before she could stand to pull her friend up…

"Halt!"

"There he is. Take him away!"

"_No_!" Keira yelled in protest. "Jak!"

"_Jak!"_

Glowing white orbs flashed open, the skin surrounding fading to a deep blue. His lips parted in a shriek of defiance as he snapped out of his vision. Feathery wings that now poured like torch light out of his tensed back drew downward in a mighty flap. Again. Then, again.

_**~ 'Cause you know my call, and you'll share my all ~ And our children come, they will hear me roar ~**_

The ottsel scampered frantically, paws slipping on the metal platform, as he fought against the force dragging him backwards. His tiny muscles screamed in protest, hurting so much already from the mad amount of running.

Terror overtook Daxter's form as he lost the ground from under him entirely, flying backwards to meet his untimely doom. But to the ottsel's surprise, he ran into something – rather hard, he might want me to add in his annoyance – as arms wrapped protectively around his furry frame. He looked up, only managing to catch a momentary glimpse of the indigo-and-white form known as Light Jak, before the alien color flickered away from his savior's skin in a glittery essence. Jak's eyes met the ottsels, and his voice laced hard determination.

"Let's go, Dax!"

* * *

"Where are they?" the young woman exclaimed breathily in desperation. "Shouldn't they be back by now?"

"What was that, Keira?"

She glanced over her shoulder around the corner of the booth she sat in; the auburn-haired soldier sitting at the bar was turned to face her, eyes curious. Her father, Samos, was formerly pacing back and forth, but had paused as he, too, stared at her.

"Uhm, nothing," Keira stammered. "I'm talking to myself." And with that she turned her attention back to the small radio she had taken up in messing around with, as to seem busy.

Torn shrugged simply and turned back around to nurse his beer a little more. Hours prior, they heard about what was going on in the Wasteland: that Jak and Daxter had brought down the Dark Maker ship, but were battling something far more dangerous in the desert. Ashelin and Sig had left the city in the aircraft just outside of the Naughty Ottsel to provide any sort of back up they could. Keira had been about to join them, but was abruptly stopped by her father, of course, as he ranted on about how 'dangerous it was' and 'blah blah blah'. When the craft took off, they headed inside the bar to wait for any news on the happenings near Spargus.

While Torn shrugged off Keira's odd self-conversation with no second thought, Samos, however, had great concern for his daughter. He heard what she said. He knew full well the condition she was in, no matter how much she tried to hide it. She never showed it when Jak was around, but when he wasn't, she always thought about him. That was quite obvious; she was always distracted these days whenever Samos tried to talk to her. It wasn't that dreamy little state like it was before, either. She seemed frantic, concerned, on edge. When Jak was near, her demeanor was somewhat hopeful, and almost apologetic.

Obviously something significant happened between the two of them before Jak's banishment, and Samos couldn't help but not like it.

The crackle of a communicator attempting contact pulled Samos from his thinking, and he dragged his beady eyes over to Torn, who had the small device out in no time.

"…'ome in. I repea… in. Torn, do… read?" The reception was terrible, but understandable for the most part.

"Ashelin?" Torn answered, his ice blue eyes lighting up subtly at the sound of his girlfriend's voice, however distorted it was. "I read. Ashelin, what is going on over there?"

Keira snapped her attention away from the radio she had been tinkering with at her place in the booth, glancing back to the commander once more, eyes eager for news.

A little more static before a reply. "…fine! We won! W… all fine. Jak did it!"

Torn gave a triumphant 'yeah!' while Samos let out an audible sigh of relief. "That boy has saved us all once again," he commented happily. Keira kept silent, however, but one hand was held to her chest as her eyes closed, trying to calm herself as her heart thudded in an upbeat pace. He did it! They were all safe now!.. As was he.

Mar, she didn't know what to do now. Should she run up to him when he arrived and congratulate him, just as she would normally do? What about… What if he's still scared to talk to her? She had noticed how he seemed to deliberately keep away from her. She figured he was afraid, afraid she'd think of him as no more than a monster.

"Get the Hell over here, babe!" Torn ordered to Ashelin over the communicator with an unusual cheerful tone. But as he noticed how uncharacteristic and informal that was, with an awkward glance to his audience, he hastily added, "Uh-uhm, all of you. So we can congratulate, uh, Jak and the rat for, uhm, their victory."

"Yes,_ sir_." Ashelin's amusement was clear in her voice despite the terrible reception.

* * *

"Where's Keira?"

The lot had just returned from the Wasteland and were now inside the Naughty Ottsel, not hesitating to attack the stash of beer and celebrate the victory. Sig even came back with them, despite his current duty of ruling the city of Spargus. Pretty much everyone was there, except for the young mechanist.

Jak is the one who asked the question, of course; because he knew the truth of what happened that night, and how she did not seem to want to keep as far away from him as possible, he was eager to find her and speak to her. He hadn't even touched the beer that Tess gave to him.

Samos looked up when Jak had spoken. "She stepped outside," he replied, gesturing to the front of the bar. "She didn't seem to be willing to celebrate tonight."

Jak nodded slowly, eyes glued to the front door as soon as it was mentioned. "Thanks," he said quietly, heading for it. Samos was about to stop him, but he could sense that the man had good intentions, and that he need not worry about an argument breaking out between the two. He watched as the hero stepped away from the group, unnoticed by the rest of their drinking comrades as he headed for the front.

Slipping through the automatically opening door, Jak glanced left to right. At the latter, she stood with her back to him. Her arms were crossed as the stared in the distance. To Jak's surprise, it was raining; he must not have heard the storm begin from inside the bar.

Hesitantly, he stepped further out. She must not have noticed him there, as she did not react to his presence at all.

He decided to make himself known as he spoke softly, "Keira."

She snapped her head back at the sound of his voice, recognizing it immediately. Her eyes were bright with shock. After all, this was the first time he had spoken to her in… quite a while. "J-Jak!" she stammered awkwardly with a surprised tone. She hesitated, then went on with a more calm, yet almost sorrowful voice as she frowned. "Uhm… I didn't hear you." She started to look away, but when he grabbed her arm he seized her attention once more.

After a pause, he pulled her to him, arms wrapping around her form in a soft embrace. Keira was caught off guard and a gasp emit from her parted lips. But before she could speak, Jak beat her to the punch.

"Thank you," he whispered softly, his usually gruff tone uncharacteristically soft and caring. He paused. "Thank you for everything, Keira…" he trailed off, realizing how forward this hug must have seemed, especially after their lack of communication over the past few months. His hold began to loosen on her, but he halted. Thin arms slid up and wrapped around his neck as Keira returned the hug gladly. By her change in demeanor, he guessed that she knew exactly what he meant. He held her tighter.

_**~ Hold me still, bury my heart on the coals ~ Hold me still, bury my heart next to yours ~**_

After several silent moments, the only audible sound being that of the rain and their combined breathing, they drew away, looking at one another. Her sage-green eyes looked so relieved, as if a lifetime of stress had melted away from her shoulders instantaneously. "I'm glad you're back," she told him, her words meaning more than defined.

He simply smiled down at her softly. They stood like that for a couple of moments, eyes locked with one another. Jak's heart seemed to beat slightly faster, as that affectionate feeling plagued his being. Mar, this feeling… what was it? He felt it whenever he was around Keira, and it hasn't been this bad since the last time they almost… Kissed.

As if instinct took over, Jak could feel himself easing closer to the woman in his arms. To his relief, she played along, their faces mere inches from one another. Jak closed his eyes…

"Hey!"

Damn it.

Frustrated beyond repair, Jak's nostrils flared as he made the most annoyed face anyone could imagine at the sound of that signature ottsel just at the entrance of the bar. Jak opened his eyes and glared down at the orange runt, who was obviously drunk.

"Lookit that!" he slurred as he stared at the rain, "Metalheads are falling from the sky!" And with that Daxter was down, passed out on the metal ground, followed by insane laughter from inside the bar.

Keira laughed at the drunk animal, while Jak just shook his head with an amused huff. He stepped away from Keira before looking back to her. She beamed up at him, taking his hand eagerly before saying, "Why don't we go inside and join the others?"

Jak nodded stiffly, still slightly annoyed at being interrupted yet again by his life-long friend, before he bent down, grabbed the unconscious ottsel by the scruff with his free hand, and followed the teal-haired woman inside. The storm continued outside, gracing the city with a new rain, one not of dark thoughts or memories, but of another start for the home of the hero, erasing the nightmare from his mind, as though it never existed.

_**~ So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light, 'cuz, oh, it gave me such a fright ~ And I will hold on with all of my might, just promise me we'll be all right. ~**_

* * *

_**A.N.:: **Yay. I hope you guys liked it. It got a bit drabbly here and there, I'm sorry. I haven't written in a while, and this is my first Jak and Daxter fic, and... Ech. Just, review if you'd like, I'd adore to hear what you guys think of this. Thanks for reading! Keep an eye out, I might have another JnD fic or two in the future. But for now, Woff, out!**  
**_


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